U.S. patent number 5,050,661 [Application Number 07/594,117] was granted by the patent office on 1991-09-24 for blind for rounded window section.
Invention is credited to Cynthia R. Hook, Arthur L. Sikkema.
United States Patent |
5,050,661 |
Sikkema , et al. |
September 24, 1991 |
Blind for rounded window section
Abstract
A window blind for an arched or rounded window in which the
blind when open rests in a horizontal stack on the base of the
window and which closes to fan shaped disposition. The inner end of
the stack is carried by a vertical slot and pivot means that
permits the inner end of the stack to shift vertically in a plane
that includes the axis about which the rounded outer portions of
the window frame is formed. As the blind is closed to a fan shaped
condition, the slot and pivot connection permits the inner end of
the stack to drop so that the blind itself may be substantially the
length of the radius of the circular window pane. Cord controls are
provided so that an upward force is applied to the stacked blind to
initiate closing of the blind.
Inventors: |
Sikkema; Arthur L. (Geneseo,
IL), Hook; Cynthia R. (Thomson, IL) |
Family
ID: |
24377594 |
Appl.
No.: |
07/594,117 |
Filed: |
October 9, 1990 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
160/84.07;
160/134 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E06B
9/24 (20130101); E06B 9/262 (20130101); E06B
2009/2488 (20130101); E06B 2009/2625 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E06B
9/262 (20060101); E06B 9/26 (20060101); E06B
9/24 (20060101); E06B 003/94 () |
Field of
Search: |
;160/84.1,134,279,340,341,370,90,32,35 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Purol; David M.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A blind structure for a circular window having a horizontal base
and an outer circular frame member formed about an axis adjacent
the surface of the base, said blind structure comprising: a
U-shaped upwardly opening trough structure fixed to and extending
along the base; a pleated fan-shaped blind adapted to lie when in
repose in a horizontal stack in said trough structure, said blind
including an arm fixed to an upper pleat and having a lower pleat
fixed to said trough structure, the length of said pleated blind
being substantially the radius of said circular frame member and
said arm having an inner end located in the area of said axis;
vertically self-adjusting horizontal pivot means connecting said
inner end of said arm to said trough structure, the axis of said
pivot means being shiftable vertically between positions
coextensive with said axis of said circular frame member and
vertically above the latter axis; control cords connected to said
arm, one of said cords used to swing said arm and blind from a
fully open position in which said blind is in said horizontal stack
and in said trough structure to a fan-shaped disposition in which
it covers said window, and another of said cords being used to
return the blind to said horizontal stack; and a cord control
element being positioned relative to said one control cord so that
the direction of force between it and said blind arm will have a
vertical upward component.
2. The invention defined in claim 1 in which said vertically
self-adjusting horizontal pivot means is opposed vertical slots in
vertical walls of said U-shaped upwardly opening trough structure
and a horizontal pivot member fixed to said inner end of said arm
and having opposite ends thereof residing in said slots, and in
which the lower ends of said vertical slots are horizontally
aligned with said axis about which the circular frame member is
formed and extend upwardly to at least the height of said
horizontal stack.
3. The invention defined in claim 1 in which said circular frame
member is half a circle and said vertically self-adjusting
horizontal pivot means moves in a vertical plane that contains said
axis about which the circular frame member is formed.
4. The invention defined in claim 3 in which said control element
is a lever horizontally pivotally connected to said trough
structure and having an upper end that is above said blind when in
said horizontal stack, and said one cord is connected to the lever
and said upper end is connected to said arm.
5. The invention defined in claim 4 in which vertical walls forming
opposit sides of said trough structure are enlarged in the area of
said axis so as to substantially cover said lever and cords.
6. The invention defined in claim 3 in which said horizontal stack
extends outwardly to one side of said axis and said lever is
connected to the other side of said axis and to said trough
structure.
7. The invention defined in claim 6 in which said lever may swing
outwardly and come to rest in said trough structure beneath said
arm when said blind is in a fully closed position.
8. The invention defined in claim 1 in which said outer circular
frame member is a quarter circle and the window has a vertical
frame member extending between said circular frame member and said
base, and said cord control element is a member fixed to said
vertical frame member at a level above said arm when said blind is
in said horizontal stack and over which said one cord is played so
that a section of said one cord is inclined between said member and
said arm.
9. The invention defined in claim 8 further characterized by a
third cord slidably connected to said section of said one cord and
extending therefrom to an area at the juncture between said
vertical frame member and said horizontal base whereby said third
cord may draw said section of said one cord into vertical and
horizontal portions lying closely adjacent said vertical frame
member and said horizontal base respectively.
10. The invention defined in claim 1 in which said horizontal
trough structure has on its underside a tunnel through which said
cords extend for exiting at one side of said window.
Description
This invention relates to a fan-shaped blind for use on a rounded
window section and to the controls for moving the blind between its
closed and open positions.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A conventional pleated type window shade or blind for an arched or
rounded window will, when it is desired to have the shade open,
normally rest in a horizontal stack on the base frame of the window
and will extend from an inner end at the vertical center of the
window toward the inner side of the circular frame of the window.
Normally the inner end of the shade is carried on horizontal pivot
about which the shade may be swung between an open or stacked
position and a closed fan-shaped position. The problem that is
created occurs because the shade when in its stacked position has a
vertical height or dimension to it. This prevents the pivot from
being located on the axis about which the circular portion of the
window frame is formed. If the pivot is located at the level of the
upper side of the stacked shade, the shade is reduced in length
substantially the height of the stack in order to prevent
interference between the outer edge of the shade and the circular
window frame upon the shade being moved to its closed position. The
gap that is left between edge and frame gives the impression that
the shade is improperly fitted.
With the above in mind, it is the primary object of the present
invention to provide a mounting for a fan-shaped shade which will
permit the aforesaid pivot to shift vertically between the level of
the stack and the axis about which the circular window frame is
formed.
More specifically it is an object of the invention to provide a
shade or blind structure for an arch type or circular window
section. The blind structure is composed of a base member that is
fixed to the window frame. The base member has a vertical slot at
the center of the window that extends through the axis of the
circular window section and ends substantially at the upper level
of the blind when in its stacked position. A horizontal pin fixed
to the inner end of the blind extends into the slot and permits the
inner end of the blind to vertically self-adjust as needed upon the
blind being opened or closed.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a shade
structure for arched type windows of relatively large size. Such
windows normally have the upper circular portions divided into two
sections, each of which is 90 degrees of a circle. For such a
window it is proposed to provide a shade structure for each side of
the window. The shade structure is composed of two sections of
frame, one for each half of the window. Each blind frame will have
a horizontal base portion and a vertical portion. At the juncture
of the horizontal and vertical portions there is provided a
vertical slot, of the nature previously noted, that receives a pin
on the inner end of the blind and which operates to self-adjust in
the slot as previously described.
It is a further object of the invention to provide pull cords for
the blind and to provide control elements on the blind support to
position the cords so as to create vertical forces on the blind as
needed. These and other objects of the invention will become more
apparent as the features of the invention are understood from the
following description.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front view of an arch type window structure using the
blind structure of the invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view, with portions broken away, of the
circular window frame and the blind structure of the invention.
FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the blind structure taken
substantially along the transverse center line of the blind
structure.
FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the blind structure. Part
of the window pane is shown in phantom.
FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the blind in a
semi-closed position.
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 3.
FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the connections between the pull
cords and a cord control lever.
FIG. 8 is a front view of a modified form of the invention and
showing the shade in a closed position
FIG. 9 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the blade or blind
structure shown in FIG. 8. The shade is shown in the open
position.
FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of the structure shown in
FIG. 8, with portions broken away to show internal mechanism.
FIG. 11 is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing the corner
portion of the structure shown in FIG. 8.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIG. 1, a window structure is composed of a
rectangular shaped lower multi-paneled main section 12 and an upper
semi-circular section 14. The lower section 12 is suitably framed,
as at 16, and the frame 16 includes an upper horizontal frame
member 18. The upper semi-circular section 14 is composed a
horizontal base 20 fixed to the plate 18 by any suitable means and
a circular frame section 22, which in this particular form of the
invention is semi-circular. The frame section 22 is formed by a
radius having its axis, signified by the reference number 24,
located centrally on the upper surface of base 20. A window pane
shown partially at 26 is suitably mounted on the base 20 and
semi-circular frame section 22.
Mounted on the base plate 20 is a blind supporting structure 28
composed of opposed vertical walls 30, 32 that extend transversely
across the plate 20 substantially the full length of the base plate
20. The walls 30, 32 are joined at their lower edges by left and
right horizontal walls 34, 36 that are spaced apart to permit
movement of parts of blind 38 in the area of axis 24. As can best
be seen in FIG. 6, the vertical walls 30, 32 form with the
horizontal walls 34, 36 an upwardly opening trough that receive
portions of the blind 38 as needed. The walls 34, 36 have
transversely extending channels or grooves 40 in their lower
surfaces that form with the upper surface of base plate 20 tunnels
through which control cords may be played. Screw members 44 extend
through the vertical walls 30, 32 and secure the entire blind frame
28 to base plate 20.
The blind 38 is of the pleated type which, when in a folded
condition as shown in FIG. 3, comprises a horizontal stack of
closely layered folds. When in such a stack the blind is positioned
within the trough on the right half side of the window. The
lower-most fold is fixed to the wall 36. The upper-most fold is
fixed to a movable arm or plate 46 that has extending portion 48
projecting over the axis 24 of the circular window frame 22. A fore
and aft extending pivot pin 50 is mounted on the projecting portion
48 and is received in opposed vertical slots 52, 54 formed in the
internal surfaces of walls 30, 32. The slots extend upwardly in a
vertical plane that contains axis 24 to upper ends substantially at
the upper level of the stacked blind. To accommodate the slots and
cover other structure the plates 30 ,32 are enlarged at 56 at the
center of the window structure. The radial length of the blind is
substantially the full radius of the semi-circular frame 22
although there is provided a small gap between the outer edge of
the blind and the inner surface of the window frame 22 to ensure
that the blind will be free to shift without interference with the
frame.
A V-shaped control arm or lever 58 is mounted on the supporting
structure 28 on the left-hand side of the trough structure. The
lower ends of the diverging legs of the lever 58 flare horizontally
outwardly at 60, 62 to be received in suitable horizontal and axial
aligned openings in the inner surfaces of plates 30, 32. The lever
extends over the blind 38 when it is stacked as shown in FIG. 3. An
apex end 66 of the control arm 58 is connected to the blind arm 46
by cord 74a that is bolted at 68 to the arm 46. A blind control
cord 64 is also connected by bolt 68 to arm 46. The cord 64 extends
through the blind folds or pleats and wall 36 and into channel 38
where it exits through opening 70. For convenience the cord 64
carries at its free end a hand-gripping element 72.
As shown in FIG. 7, the cord 74a is also connected to a main
control cord 74 at the apex portion 66 of control arm 58. The cord
74 extends from apex portion 66 around a pair of directional pins
76, 78 at the left end of the blind holding frame 28 which
redirects the cord 74 to the opposite or right end of walls 30, 32
via the tunnel 38 and through an opening 80 in wall 32. The cord 74
has a lower free end which carries a gripping element 82. The free
and portions of cords 64, 74 hang vertically side by side at the
right end portion of the window and shade so that the shade may be
adjusted as desired from that side.
The shade structure operates as follows. When the shade 38 is in
the open position as shown in FIG. 3 and 4, it is horizontally
stacked in the right half portion of the trough formed by walls 30,
32, 36. The control arm or lever 58 rests in an inclined
disposition against the inner end of blind arm 46 and has its apex
end portion 66 at a level above the arm 46. When it is desired to
shut the shade, the free end of cord 74 is pulled downwardly. This
exerts a counter clockwise force on control arm 58. Since the apex
portion 66 of arm 58 is above the level of blind arm 46 the force
on the arm 46 by cord 74a is inclined. The vertical component of
this inclined force causes the arm 46 to move vertically about its
pivot 50. As the arm 46 rises, as shown in FIG. 5, the weight of
the arm and its blind and the then downward pull of cord 74a will
cause the pivot pin 50 to drop in the slots 52, 54 to relocate
substantially on the axis 24 of the semi-circular window frame
section 22. Therefore, the pin 50 and slots 52, 54 operate as
vertically self-adjusting pivot means for mounting the arm 46 on
the trough structure. By having such pivot means the radial
dimension of the fan-shaped blind may be substantially the same as
the radius of the circular window frame.
When it is desired to again open the blind, cord 64 is pulled
downwardly and the arm 46 will arise from the left side of the
trough structure and move in a clockwise direction. As the blind
approaches the stacked condition, as shown in FIG. 3, it will cause
the pin 45 to shift to the top of slots 52, 54.
Referring to the modified form of the invention as shown in FIGS.
8-11, there is therein shown a partial or quarter circular window.
The window has a vertical frame member 90 joined at its lower end
to a horizontal frame member 92. The frame members 90, 92 are
connected at their outer ends by a circular frame member 94 having
a circular expanse of ninety degrees. A glass pane, not shown, is
mounted on the frame members 90-94. Two fore and aft spaced and
parallel members 96, 98 are bolted at 100, 102 to the vertical
frame member 90. The lower ends of members 96, 98 are rigid with
circular cover plates 104, 106. Projecting rigidly and horizontally
outwardly from the outer edges of the circular plates 104, 106 are
upright horizontal walls 130, 132. The lower edges of the walls
130, 132 are rigidly joined by a horizontal wall 136 that is
grooved at 138 on its underside to form a cord tunnel with the
upper surface of the horizontal frame member 92. The inner surfaces
of the circular plates 104, 106 are vertically grooved at 152 154
to receive opposite ends of a horizontal pivot pin 156 on the inner
end of a blind arm 146. The lower ends of grooves 152, 154 are
located substantially on the axis of the circular window frame
member 94. The vertical walls 130, 132 are fixed to the horizontal
window frame member 92 by screws 140. Cord openings 108, 110, 112
are provided in the outer end of wall 132 and open into the groove
138.
A pleated blind 114 is connected to the blind arm 146 amd wall 136.
The length of the blind 114 is substantially equal to the radius of
the frame member 94. Bolted at 116 to the arm 146 is one end of
pull cord 118. The cord extends upwardly from the bolt 116 over a
horizontal directional pin 120 and from there downwardly to a
second directional pin 122 from where it is directed horizontally
outwardly through the groove 138 to the opening 108 where it exits
from the blind structure. Also fixed to the bolt 116 is a second
control cord 124 that extends downwardly through openings in each
of the pleats of the blind 114 and horizontal wall portion 136. The
cord extends into the groove 138 until it reaches and exits through
opening 110. A third control cord 126 is looped at 128 around the
cord 118 and extends from the loop 128 over the inner end of arm
146 and from thence downward around the directional pin 122 and
through the channel 138. The cord 126 leaves the channel 138
through opening 112.
In operation the blind 114 may be moved from it open or stacked
condition as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 to its fan-shaped position as
shown in FIG. 8 and 11 by pulling on the free end of control cord
118. Such will create an upwardly inclined force on arm 146 causing
it and the shade to shift angularly about its inner end or pivot
pin 156. As the arm 146 moves upwardly, its weight and the weight
of the blind will create a gravitational force on the arm 146
causing the pin 156 to move downwardly in the slots or grooves 152,
154 until the pin 156 rests on the axis of the circular frame
member 94. This action permits the length of the blind to
approximate the radius of the circular frame member and still
permit the blind to be horizontally stacked.
The blind may be opened by pulling on the control cord 124. This
will cause the arm 146 and blind 114 to drop to its stacked
position as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. This could, of course, leave
much of the cord 118 exposed thereby leaving a rather unattractive
arrangement. However, by pulling downwardly on the third cord 126,
the section of cord 118 between bolt 116 and direction pin 120 will
be shifted downwardly toward the inner end of arm 146. This section
of cord 118 will then be composed of a vertical portion hidden by
members 96, 98 and a horizontal section lying on top of the arm 146
but nevertheless hidden from view.
* * * * *